Wto Members and Accession Candidates

WTO MEMBERS AND ACCESSION CANDIDATES

March 2013

WTO membership

159 countries are currently members of the WTO.

Candidates to WTO membership

The following 24 countries are currently negotiating their WTO membership (by date of application).

Country / Application date
Algeria / 1987
Belarus / 1993
Sudan / 1994
Uzbekistan / 1994
Seychelles / 1995
Kazakhstan / 1996
Azerbaijan / 1997
Andorra / 1999
Lebanese Republic / 1999
Bosnia Herzegovina / 1999
Bhutan / 1999
Yemen / 2000
Bahamas / 2001
Syria (WP established on 4 May 2010) / 2001
Ethiopia / 2003
Libya / 2004
Iraq / 2004
Afghanistan / 2004
Republic of Serbia / 2004
Iran / 2005
Sao Tomé and Principe / 2005
Union of the Comoros / 2007
Equatorial Guinea / 2007
Republic of Liberia / 2007

Recent accessions to the WTO

31 accessions have been completed since the WTO was established in 1995. The last countries that joined the WTO are:

· Laos on 2 February 2013

· Tajikistan: 2 March 2013

Who are the WTO members?

Albania

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Bahrain, Kingdom of

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Bolivia, Plurinational State of Botswana

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Congo

Costa Rica

Côte d'Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Estonia

European Union

Fiji

Finland

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

France

Gabon

The Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Hong Kong, China

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kenya

Korea, Republic of

Kuwait

Kyrgyz Republic

Laos

Latvia

Lesotho

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macao, China

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

Maldives

Mali

Malta

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mexico

Moldova

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

Nepal

Netherlands - For the Kingdom in Europe and for the Netherlands Antilles

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Niger

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Panama

Papua New Guinea

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russian Federation

Rwanda

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Samoa

Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovak Republic

Slovenia

Solomon Islands

South Africa

Spain

Sri Lanka

Suriname

Swaziland

Sweden

Switzerland

Chinese Taipei

Tajikistan

Tanzania

Thailand

Togo

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States of America

Uruguay

Vanuatu

Vietnam

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Least-Developed members

There are 34 members officially classified as least-developed countries (LDCs).

Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Djibouti
Gambia
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Haiti

Laos
Lesotho
Madagascar
Malawi

Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Niger
Rwanda

Samoa
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda

Vanuatu
Zambia

9 additional least-developed countries are in the process of accession to the WTO. They are: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Liberia, Comoros, Sao Tome & Principe, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea and Yemen. There is no WTO definition of “developed” or “developing” countries. Developing countries in the WTO are designated on the basis of self-selection although this is not necessarily automatically accepted in all WTO bodies.

Dates of the 31 accessions since the WTO was established in 1995

The other accessions before 1995 were already GATT contracting parties.

Country / Date of accession
Ecuador / 21 January 1996
Bulgaria / 1 December 1996
Mongolia / 29 January 1997
Panama / 6 September 1997
Kyrgyz Republic / 20 December 1998
Latvia / 10 February 1999
Estonia / 13 November 1999
Jordan / 11 April 2000
Georgia / 14 June 2000
Albania / 8 September 2000
Oman / 9 November 2000
Croatia / 30 November 2000
Lithuania / 31 May 2001
Moldova / 26 July 2001
China / 11 December 2001
Chinese Taipei / 1 January 2002
Armenia / 5 February 2003
F. Y. R. of Macedonia / 4 April 2003
Nepal / 23 April 2004
Cambodia / 13 October 2004
Country / Date of accession
Saudi Arabia / 11 December 2005
Vietnam / 11 January 2007
Tonga / 27 July 2007
Ukraine / 16 May 2008
Cape Verde / 23 July 2008
Montenegro / 29 April 2012
Samoa / 10 May 2012
Russian Federation / 22 August 2012
Vanuatu / 24 August 2012
Laos / 2 February 2013
Tajikistan / 2 March 2013